1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sailboats, specifically to an apparaus for mounting a jibsail and mainsail on a sloop, so that the entire rig may rotate to follow the shifting wind or to compensate for the helmsman's maneuvers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior patent art does not teach the detailed structure of automatically rotatable sailing rigs. In his U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,765, the inventor described the aerodynamics and claimed the automatically rotatable sail rig. A principal advantage is that its thrust is reliably adjustable over a wide range in a steady wind; said thrust, being voluntarily set, is substantially unaffected by possible errors at the helm and by the directionally-shifting wind. Another advantage is its inherently high lift/drag ratio at angles of attack below stall, which is the condition to the windward. Another advantage is its ability to sail on any possible point, stalled or not, without adjusting sheets when changing course.
Many fore and aft sails have heretofore been twisted too much in moderate to strong winds, and their proximity to other sails also has deleteriously affected performance; forward drive has been reduced and lateral wind force has been unnecessarily high. Being fixed with respect to the hull, conventional sails commonly luff and stall by turns in the deviating wind, resulting in decreased thrust and increased drag.